


Before I Knew You

by BriarRose (Aryael)



Series: I Danced With You Once Upon A Dream [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Little Ari, Little Rebel, Multi, Not very good at following the rules, Ruins are bae, Wolves and Wolves and Wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 10:53:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7974190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryael/pseuds/BriarRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of tales from before the Breach. Before Solas. And before Aryael Lavoie. </p><p>A Prequel of sorts to What Dreams May Come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before I Knew You

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo the more I thought about my lovely Dalish friends I realized that I really enjoy the Lavellan background... and have way too many HCs for exactly how she grew up. So this won't necessarily be in perfect order but will be home to a collection of various instances of her childhood interspersed throughout the telling of the two years leading up to her journey to the Enclave.
> 
> This will update somewhat infrequently.

"I don't understand why we have to do this in the middle of the night, Ari," Nehnis complained as he followed his two friends deeper into the Planasene Forest.

"You know exactly why. Deshanna hasn't let us out on our own in months." The sing-song voice of Aryael Eliana Lavellan, First to Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan of Clan Lavellan carried down the pass towards his ears, causing him to shake his head.

"There is probably a reason for that," he intoned, cursing as he stubbed his toe on a rock. 

A lyrical laughter filled the air as he felt slim fingers interlace with his own, pulling him forward.

"Come on, Nehnis. You know you enjoy these adventures just as much as we do," Lyara teased with a knowing grin.

His cheeks burned red and he ducked his head, trying to avoid her sidelong gaze. 

"When it's daylight. And I can see the path."

Ari scoffed. "You are fully capable of seeing the path. Just use your eyes." Ari reached for a nearby tree limb, dropping her sack to the ground and pulled herself up, quickly scaling the side of a large oak tree. 

Lyara let go of his hand and moved to stand beneath the tree, looking up for a sign of Ari.

"Can you see anything up there?" she called, cupping her hands around mouth to help her voice carry.

"I think the ruins are just up ahead. There were broken stones to the right of our path," Aryael said as she deftly descended from the highest branches, landing with a soft thud on the uneven ground beneath her. 

"What are these supposed to be ruins of exactly?" Nehnis said as he bent down to pick up her bag. They had packed light, some fruits and a change of clothes, bedrolls and some poultices and potions. Lyara wore her bow and quiver on her back, while Nehnis's own great sword was strapped to his. Ari, of course, just needed her hands.

"Some of the texts I found near Hasmal... they mention a shrine to Mythal found to the south. Can you imagine what we could find there?" Ari's lavender eyes gleamed in the moonlight, her excitement clearly written across her face. "Come, it's not much farther on foot." She turned around, a bounce in her step as she began to meander her way through the trees, forging a path forward toward her destination.

 

* * *

 

Daylight had just begun to break out over the tops of the trees, filtering through the leaves to cast shadows on their path when they finally saw a crumbling stone arch way. Two statues of Fen'Harel, untouched by time, stood on either side of the broken entrance, overgrown bush and bramble crawling over their surface and littering over top broken columns and over walls. Ari took a hesitant step forward, eyes wide with wonder as she imagined what this place of worship must once have looked like. The stone looked to be a white marble that once shone under the light of the moons and sun, a pathway that led inside a small building must have held the fairest of blooms...

"This is..."

A statue of Mythal, dragon wings spread wide behind her could be seen through cracks in the walls of the building ahead.

"Do you think anyone has been here before?" Lyara asked, voice soft as though she may disturb the serene peace of this place they had tread upon.

Ari slowly shook her head.

"There is no indication that anyone has walked here in ages..." her words were likewise soft, the lilt of her voice carrying to her companions behind her.

With a determined look in her eye, she strode forward, walking the path that so many had come before her had walked, in hopes of honouring Mythal.  

Her foot wraps protected her heels from the thorns on the vines that came up from the stone path. Slowly, she began to walk forward, heading towards the opening of an enclosure where the statue was. She gasped softly as she felt the magic in the air, a potent force all around them, tingling on her skin. Stopping suddenly, she looked around, taking in her surroundings with new eyes. The stones beneath her feet were tiles, lines similar to Mythal's vallaslin painted across them as they guided you towards her shrine. Crystal grace and lavender grew wild around the path, twisted vines and roots crawling up the stone walls before her. 

"This place..." Nehnis' voice was soft, breaking out over the silence.

"Can you feel it? The magic all around? It lingers still, after all these years..." Her tone was wistful, fingers running over the soft petals of a crystal grace bloom. 

Eventually, she found herself situated before an alter, crumbled stone fallen to the ground and lost beneath the overgrowth. The statue of Mythal stood tall and proud, faceless and ageless; strong against the passage of time. She raised her hand, fingers lightly grazing over the smooth stone of her knee, warmth tickling her skin. Behind her, she could hear both Lyara and Nehnis reciting a prayer for Mythal's blessing behind her. The sun glinted off of something and it drew her eye. Bending down on one knee, she saw a tome covered in decaying leathers and inscribed with... ironbark? Her brow furrowed as she brushed her fingers across it's surface, eyeing the Elvish script near the bottom. 

"Did you find something?" Lyara asked as she stepped closer, peering over Ari's shoulder. 

"I think so," she murmured, gently taking the old tome into her hands.

 


End file.
